India threatens Pakistan with reprisal over border attacks

India ratcheted up the pressure on its nuclear-armed rival Pakistan last night, warning that it would give a “fitting response” to the co-ordinated shelling of 50 Indian frontier posts.

At least one Indian soldier was killed in southern Kashmir. Sushilkumar Shinde, India’s Home Minister, said: “We will give a fitting reply to Pakistan.” He assured Indian troops that “the country stands behind you”.

A spokesman for India’s paramilitary Border Security Force (BSF), said that Pakistani forces began firing mortar shells and machineguns at Indian positions in southern Kashmir at about 7pm on Tuesday, hours after Mr Shinde visited the area.

Rahul Bhonsle, a veteran soldier and columnist on Indian military affairs, said that the cross-border violence, which has been simmering for months, was the worst…